


sing me a song (you're the piano man)

by theartvoid



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Billy Joel's songs are Dan's, Dan plays in a bar, First chapters revolve around the Piano Man song, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Original Character(s), Phil is a University student, Piano, Song: Piano Man (Billy Joel), Soulmates, Strangers to Lovers, kinda Slow Burn but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-18 15:12:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19337089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theartvoid/pseuds/theartvoid
Summary: Sing me a song, you're the piano man.Sing me a song tonight.Well, I’m in the mood for a melody.And you've got me feeling' alright.





	sing me a song (you're the piano man)

**Author's Note:**

> All characters are original and do not relate to the actual Dan and Phil.

‘’Alright you two, I’ve got a little story for you.’’ Dan sat down in his favourite armchair, patting the arm as a suggestion for the two kids to sit with him. ‘’A story?’’ the little girl asked curiously as she and her brother squeezed together on the arm. ‘’Yes, a story from when I was young, you may even consider it a fairytale’’. The two kids eyes widened. ‘’Tell! Tell!’’ they hummed in response.

 

‘’Now, now… many many years ago, there was young piano man…’’ Dan began.

 

-

 

It was a busy Saturday night at the bar,  a good crowd of people were spread across the open room. When Dan came in, Martin, the bartender, had already been shaking up drinks for hours. ‘’Daniel!’’ Martin exclaimed in a high pitched teasing voice. Dan shot the man a smile, as he walked towards the bar. Dan and Martin had been good friends ever since they went to school, as the only two true outcasts, they had managed to quickly form a strong bond. ‘’Pleasure to see you, Mart’’ Dan pulled one of the wooden barstools out.

 

‘’So you got any good tunes for us tonight?’’ asked an older man, who was sat on the stool next to Dan. The man held intense eye contact with the gin and tonic in his hand, as he spun the liquid around in the glass. ‘’Always do’’ Dan responded. Truthfully Dan had been playing at the bar for three whole years, so you could call him a professional bar musician by now. Martin tilted his head bit and directed his hand towards the piano in the middle of the room. ‘’Go sing us a song then, you’re the piano man, aren’t ya?’’ 

 

Dan chuckled and nodded, as he made his way towards the piano. 

‘’Okay everyone, here goes tonight's first tune. It’s an original, that I like to call - New York State of Mind. I wrote this song when I went to New York a couple of years ago, the only time I ever went to the United States. New York takes you by surprise, hum along if you’d like.’’ Dan spoke up, and gained the crowd's attention, as he sat down at the white piano.

 

His fingers trailed the 88 keys, as he felt a sort of electricity burst in him. He pressed the keys, quickly, as if it was instinct, in the order C, C, G, C, E. 

 

_ ‘’Some folks like to get away, take a holiday from the neighbourhood.’’ _ he adjusted the microphone that was connected to the piano. He wouldn't call himself a professional singer, but singing always went well with the sound of the piano, so he sang. 

 

_ ‘’- hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood, but I'm taking' a Greyhound on the Hudson River line.’’  _ He eyed the crowd, some fascinated and unable to tear their eyes away, others simply chatting by the bar.

 

_ ‘’I'm in a New York state of mind.’’  _ He pressed down the keys, for an intensified effect, as he sang the chorus. A few girls stood in the corner of the room clapped and giggled, he tried not to focus on the obnoxious flirty look in their eyes. Dan had never been one to flirt with customers at the bar, to be honest, he wasn’t really ever interested in any of the girls who came in.

 

_ ‘’I've seen all the movie stars in their fancy cars and their limousines, been high in the Rockies under the evergreens. I know what I'm needin', and I don't want to waste more time. I'm in a New York state of mind.’’ _

 

-

 

Phil had never been a huge bar guy, but his friend Laura had insisted that they’d go out tonight. Laura and Phil had been friends for a couple of years now, they met in their first year of university. Now they were on the last year, and a chapter would soon close. Phil hoped that Laura and he could stay friends, even after university. Losing his closest friend terrified Phil, but at some point, Laura would find that special someone and move on with her life. 

 

‘’Quite cheery tonight, aren't we, Lester?’’ Laura said sarcastically, poking Phil's shoulder. 

Phil shot her a small forced smile. ‘’Just not the most bar-y person, y’know’’.  _ Bar-y... as if that's a word, good job Phil.  _ Phil thought to himself. Laura smiles at Phil with a knowing look as she mutters something along the lines of ‘’It’ll be fun’’.

 

They ended up settling for a smaller cosy looking bar. The place gave off an old school vibe, it reminded him of the place his father would go with his mates back in the day. The bar seemed to be quite packed, which was normal for a Saturday night in London. The bar smelled of beer, cheap perfume and smoke. A few ladies stood by the bar, wearing colourful dresses and painfully tall heels, eyed Phil as he walked into the room. One of the girls giggled and whispered something to the others, who nodded, keeping their eyes on Phil. 

 

‘’Alright, now the next song here, is a duet. You might know it - or I mean, you hopefully do. This is Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John, who is probably one of my biggest inspirations.’’ The man at the piano said. A piano player was a bit irregular for a bar in 2019, so Phil couldn't help being interested. The man had a brown curly head or hair, soft facial features with a warm smile. You could easily see how he enjoyed playing, his eyes on the piano with concentration and passion. ‘’Martha’’ The man gestured towards a woman who was standing behind the bar, presumably a waitress. ‘’Come, won’t you sing this one with me’’ 

 

The lady - Martha, stumbled on over to the piano. She sat on the edge of the piano and whispered something to the piano man. She looked a bit flustered and shy.  _ She must not be used to singing in front of such a big crowd.  _ Phil thought to himself.

 

Laura had gone off to chat with some rich looking bloke in a suit. Phil felt a jolt in his chest, he wasn't exactly sure what it meant. He could never pinpoint how he felt about Laura. Sure they were best friends, and he cared for her deeply, but there had never been any romantic attraction from his side. 

 

Laura once tried to kiss Phil, in the library at the end of their first year of University, but Phil had turned her down. He had felt so awful after that, he had barely realised he’d been leading the girl on. He just never felt that way when it came to Laura or anyone for that matter. It wasn't like he hadn't tried, but none of the girls he had met ever interested him in more than a platonic way. Phil wasn't jealous of Laura and the man at the bar, he was scared. He knew Laura would find someone soon, and then she would stop hanging out with Phil, and he would be alone again. It was pathetic, but it was always in the back of his mind.

  
  


_ ‘’So don't go breaking my heart.’’ _

 

_ ‘’I won't go breaking your heart.’’ _

 

_ ‘’Don't go breaking my heart.’’ _

  
  



End file.
